So here we are, after a season that always feels too short, it all comes down to this: a 1900m time trial followed by ranked A, B, and C finals. Nine months of training and racing get distilled down into one final showdown. The top programs will be chasing podium finishes, not just to prove their current speed, but to showcase the depth that will feed into their senior squads next year. At the top of the J16 field, it’s St Paul’s School BC and King’s College School BC, two elite programs that have been separated by mere seconds all season. Just behind them, Hampton School BC, Abingdon School BC, Radley College BC, and Dulwich College BC all look strong contenders for a spot on the podium. The Junior 16 eights A-final is always a fierce, close-fought contest, but this year, it might just be the race of the entire regatta.
St Paul’s School Boat Club
Arguably the standout junior rowing program in the world over the past few years, this Junior 16 eight is more than living up to that reputation. After dominating the Junior 15 category last season, including a commanding open-water win at the National Schools’ Regatta 2023, they’ve continued their winning form into this year, claiming titles at Quintin Head, the Schools’ Head of the River, and Wallingford Regatta. They’ve also impressed in fixtures, defeating significantly older and more experienced crews such as Dulwich’s senior first eight and London Rowing Club. With six athletes attending GB April Trials, their raw power, particularly on the ergo, is undeniable and likely unmatched. While they picked up the first national title of the season at the Schools’ Head, the narrow 1.1-second margin over King’s College may not have been the statement they hoped for. They’re fast and experienced, but with a fired-up KCS crew chasing them down, the question remains: can they hold them off when it matters most?
King’s College School Boat Club
Tideway natives and no strangers to the sharp end of junior rowing, this King’s College crew has been snapping at the heels of St Paul’s all season. After a fourth-place finish at last year’s National Schools’ Regatta, a result they attribute to ‘dodgy marshalling’, they’ve come into this year with something to prove. Their head season was impressive, with standout victories at Teddington, Kingston, and Hammersmith Heads. However, they narrowly missed out on their first national title at the Schools’ Head, edged out by St Paul’s. They opened their regatta season campaign strongly, representing Thames London at the Junior Inter-Regionals and taking first place ahead of Abingdon, despite trailing them in the time trial earlier that day. At Wallingford, even with a sub in the boat, they came just 1.6 seconds short of St Paul’s, a near miss that cost them some silverware. This crew is clearly in striking distance; the question is, have they made the leap since Wallingford to finally take the top step of the podium?
Hampton School Boat Club
The yellow-and-black lions, as mentioned in some of my previous articles, appear to have slipped from their high-flying form of last year’s season. The departure of their top two athletes to Hampton’s first eight under the guidance of Josh Butler has left this Junior 16 crew with a noticeable lack of winning experience. Their ninth-place finish at the Schools’ Head of the River can likely be chalked up to a bad row on unfamiliar waters. After returning from a training camp in Soustons, France, they came back sporting a bow bucket rig, an unusual choice at this level. At BASHER, they were beaten by a strengthened St Paul’s B crew, but still earned a spot in the B-final alongside Eton and Radley. Most recently, they claimed a win at Nottingham City Regatta, showing a welcome return to form. While Hampton may not yet be in a position to mount a serious challenge for gold, their upward trajectory and recent success certainly make them a strong contender for the podium.
Abingdon School Boat Club
After taking bronze at last year’s National Schools’ Regatta, the question now is: can they upgrade the colour this time around? Their season began at Quintin Head, where time penalties for crews ahead bumped them into second place, a promising start. They were absent from Hammersmith Head, and ended the head season with a disappointing eighth-place finish at the Schools’ Head, a result that likely fell short of their expectations. Over Easter, they headed to Temple-sur-Lot in France for a training camp, and more recently competed at the Junior Inter-Regionals in Nottingham, where they claimed silver behind King’s. This crew has a habit of building momentum as the National Schools’ Regatta approaches, and there’s no reason to think this year will be any different. They’re certainly in the mix, with another podium finish looking well within reach.
Radley College School Boat Club
The red-and-white army, typically a formidable presence in junior rowing, have shown flashes of potential this season, though this particular age group has tended to hover near the lower end of the top pack. Their head race results were solid if not standout: at Quintin Head in January, they trailed Dulwich by nearly fifteen seconds, but turned the tables at Hammersmith Head, securing a strong fourth-place finish. Their head season culminated in a third-place result at the Schools’ Head, earning them a podium spot, though they finished some thirty seconds behind the leading crews, St Paul’s and King’s. At Wallingford, misfortune struck as they were placed in a heat hit by significantly slower wind conditions, causing them to miss out on a place in the final. It isn’t easy to gauge exactly where Radley stands heading into this regatta. The Wallingford result will have stung, and it’s likely that the past few weeks have been spent regaining momentum in hopes of delivering something special come the National Schools’ Regatta.
Dulwich College School Boat Club
After flying under the radar last season with a C-final finish at the National Schools’ Regatta, this crew has clearly made it a mission to bounce back, and an A-final appearance now looks well within reach. They kicked off the season with a sixth-place finish at Quintin Head, a solid, if unspectacular, result that they’ve since built upon. At the Schools’ Head, they matched that sixth-place standing in a much tougher field, suggesting real progress since January. Following a second training camp this season in Seville, they’ve benefited from regular competition with their second eight, hoping to reap the rewards of training alongside a faster, more experienced crew. So far this summer, they’ve continued their upward trajectory, making the final at Wallingford and placing fifth, another sign of steady improvement. It’s hard to predict exactly where they’ll land at National Schools’, but based on their form so far, a place in the A-final is definitely within their grasp.
Predictions
It’s shaping up to be an incredibly tight battle between St Paul’s and King’s. At Wallingford, St Paul’s edged them by just half a length, but with King’s now back to full strength, that margin is likely to shrink, and the racing coming down to a wire. The outcome may well hinge on which crew has found the most speed in the crucial final weeks since Wallingford. It’s too close to call with confidence, but I’m backing St Paul’s and King’s to take the top two spots on the podium. As for bronze, it looks like a showdown between Abingdon and Hampton. Given Abingdon’s strong build into the National Schools’ Regatta, I think they might just have the edge.
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